


Time Triangle

by Hello_Spikey



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Magic, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-04
Updated: 2013-12-04
Packaged: 2019-10-26 05:18:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17739749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hello_Spikey/pseuds/Hello_Spikey
Summary: Spike travels back in time to enlist Willow's help to save the world! Or Buffy's mom. It's the same thing, actually. Wait, he's not explaining this right...





	Time Triangle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Velvetwhip (Gabrielle)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabrielle/gifts).



> Okay, so this is over-due, but when you read you'll see why - I got a horrible case of long-winded plot-itis. Velvetwhip asked for Spike with Willow or Joyce, something "twisted". 
> 
> "Oo," I thought, "Threesomes are twisted!" Then I set about NOT WRITING THAT. You can kinda see where I wanted it to go, but rather than being twisted, I'm afraid this came out... sweet? I hope you enjoy it anyway, darling! *MWAH*

A soft knock sounded on Willow’s dorm room door. Distracted, she barely looked up from her book as she said, “Come in.”

“You should be more careful with those words, Red,” said a deep British voice.

Willow tripped over her chair in her haste to turn toward the door. Spike stood there, smiling at her. “Oh god.” Willow’s hands went to her throat. “What do you want? A spell? I… I can do that.”

Spike frowned. “Haven’t I been here before?”

Willow inched around the desk to put her back to the wall. She searched helplessly for a weapon.

Spike held out one hand. “Here now, don’t go hitting me with the bloody lamp again.”

Willow’s eyes immediately went to the lamp by the window. It did look like the best thing in arm’s reach to hit a vampire with. “A-again?”

Then, to her complete surprise, Spike huffed a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Willow, you dozy bitch, you sent me back too early.”

“I… what?”

“It’s not Tuesday, is it? Christ, we’d better make this quick in case past-me decides to show himself. I’d rather not relive THAT.”

A tiny part of Willow’s brain began to wonder if fight or flight were not necessary at this moment. “Um… are you all right?”

“Look, I’m not evil. Well, I am evil if you run into me in this time, but even that bloke can’t hurt you because of this government microchip.”

Willow was feeling faint trying to keep up with this. “You’re a time traveller?”

“On the nose. Knew I could trust a nerd to get it. I’m Spike from five years in the future and I need your help. You sent me back, witchy wonder that you are, but I think you overshot. Not sure by how much. Are you dating Tara yet?”

Willow frowned. “That sounds like a girl’s name.”

“Take that as a no. Crap. Would have liked her help on this, too. Me and you, we got one mission.”

“Save the world?” 

Spike sighed, obviously annoyed at having his thunder stolen. “Well, yeah. Isn’t that always it? But more importantly, we have to save the slayer’s mum.”

#

Willow watched Spike talking to Buffy’s mom, trying to convince her she needed to have a healing spell cast on her. “If you saw how much Buffy’s worryin’ about you, love.” He started to reach for her hand, then stopped himself as Joyce frowned. He really looked like his heart was breaking.

Was he for real? Willow was still afraid of broken-bottle-in-face scenarios, but he did seem… different. There was something softer in his eyes.

“But I’m fine,” Joyce said. “I only had a little headache. And you…” she looked at Willow. “You both think I should do this? Magic? I really don’t trust it.”

Spike gave Willow a desperate look.

Willow bit her lip. “Um… yeah, I mean, it won’t be dangerous in any way. What’s the harm?”

“Thanks for the ringing endorsement, Red,” Spike muttered.

“I just don’t know,” Joyce said.

Spike darted out of his chair and knelt in front of Joyce. “Please.”

That’s when Willow realized what was really going on here.

Spike was in love with Buffy’s mom!

#

Joyce watched Spike hover over Willow as she laid a crystal and a set of candlesticks on her coffee table. “You’re astounding,” Spike said. “You can do this.”

“Not helping,” Willow said. 

Spike jumped back and raked his hands through his hair. “Shall I just bugger off, then?”

“Dead… aren’t useful in healing spells. It might help if you were outside.”

Spike looked bereft, and like he might object, but soon the front door slammed behind him.

Joyce gasped. Of course! It made sense now. All of this wasn’t about Joyce’s silly little headache – Spike was in love with Willow!

#

Spike paced the Summers’ front porch, his boots echoing hollowly on the wooden floor. His hands were shaking enough he almost dropped his cigarette when he tried to light it. He felt like a father outside the delivery room. There was nothing he could do to speed the process or ensure it worked.

Joyce had to live. They now knew, the mother of a slayer could balance the spell to empower the potentials. All she had to do was  _be_  there and so many terrible things wouldn’t happen. They wouldn’t have to banish magic from the world. Buffy wouldn’t perform a galactic porno with Angel. 

Not that that was the most important disaster following the spell. Spike grimaced. He looked at the big front window and saw nothing but drawn curtains. Would this even work if they were too far back in time? What if the tumor hadn’t even developed yet?

The front door opened and he almost jumped from the sound. Willow came out and closed it behind her. “Well, that’s a spell,” she said.

“Did it work?”

Willow crossed her arms and gave him a look.

Spike frowned. “What?”

“Why didn’t you give Joyce the same spiel you gave me, about being from the future?”

Spike shrugged. “Didn’t think she’d buy it. Red, the future depends on Joyce not dying of a brain hemorrhage in a month or two. Tell me the spell worked.”

#

Joyce peeked around the curtains and saw Spike pleading with Willow. She felt a motherly surge of sympathy. She opened the door. Two voices stopped as she stepped outside and two faces turned to her. She smiled. “Why don’t you two come in and have a snack? I just made cookies.”

“You’re a goddess among women,” Spike said, brightening quickly.

Willow gave Joyce a knowing look that made her wonder how much Spike had said while they were outside. She wasn’t above a little teen (and vampire) gossip, so she led the way to the kitchen and set about heating up some hot chocolate on the premise that it had made Spike chatty in the past. “So what’s next for you, now that you’ve cast your magic spell?”

“We need to know if it worked,” Spike answered quickly. “If you’re really, really healthy.”

“Oh!” Willow coughed, then blushed. “I should be going.”

“Wait!” Spike slid off his chair to stop her.

Joyce smiled knowingly and went to stir the cocoa.

“You have to at least tell me which spell you used.”

“Spike, I think you can test her health just fine on your own.”

“It’s not like I can bleeding smell brain tumors!”

“I think I’ll just be getting in the way.”

“What?”

Spike and Willow exchanged significant looks. “Oh for chrissake…” Spike pushed Willow out of the room ahead of him. Joyce smiled, listening to their whispered conversation. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could guess.

Up until she heard Spike say, “Oh for the love of gravy! This is not a romantic ruse!”

Spike stomped back into the kitchen. “Is that all you people think of me? Oh, it’s Spike – he must be trying to kill one of us or in love. Never any other motivation like I was a real person or something.”

“Problems?” Joyce asked. She set a mug in front of Spike. 

Willow came into the room, red-faced. “I really just want to get back to my school work,” she said.

“No one’s leaving until Joyce has a clean bill of health,” Spike said. He picked up the mug and inhaled long and slow. “Missed this.” He bit his lower lip and looked in danger of crying.

Joyce touched his arm. “It’s not that bad. You might think the world is ending over an unkind word, but life goes on, and these things get better.”

Spike looked awed. “Missed you, Joyce.”

Joyce slapped his sleeve playfully. “Silly boy, it’s been hardly a year, and last time you got beat up by my daughter.”

“Uh…” Willow cleared her throat. “Spike really thinks you’re going to die.”

“What on earth would make him think that? I’m FINE.”

Spike coughed. “It’s, uh… some, uh… prophecy,” he said. “Yeah. Prophecy. Vague as always. Twats.”

Willow slammed down her cocoa mug. “And you didn’t expect her to buy time-travel?”

“Oh, like you’ve got a clue. You haven’t even found your side of the sexuality fence.”

Willow frowned. “What does that even mean?”

“You’ll find out in about a month.”

“This is stupid. Why would we send YOU back in time, anyway? Why not Buffy?”

Spike sighed. “Only the dead can time-travel. YOU told me that. So do you have a health-detection spell or what? I want to make sure the job’s done so I can leave before now-me comes around and gives me a swat for being such a pouf.”

Joyce cleared her throat. “Now I really have no idea what’s going on. Are you two fighting?”

“NO!” They both said, angrily.

Joyce crossed her arms. “Kiss and make up, or I’m taking the cocoa away.”

Spike looked horrified. He turned to Willow. He cleared his throat. “Uh… sorry. Know I haven’t been the most pleasant time-travelling wanker.”

Willow glanced at Joyce. “You don’t really mean ‘kiss’, do you?”

“Oy! What’s wrong with kissing me? I’ll have you know I’ve kissed one of your mates, and they loved it.”

“Who…?” Willow cut herself off, shaking her head. “It’s Xander, isn’t it?”

“What? No!”

Joyce put a hand on each mug-handle. Spike grabbed Willow, spun her toward him, and planted a firm kiss right on her mouth.

Willow felt light-headed as she was released. It had been so long since anyone had kissed her… since Oz. She blinked away stars and noticed that Spike was looking down. If she didn’t know better she’d say he was blushing.

“Um… okay…” she said, touching her lips. “You’re forgiven.”

He gave her an odd look. “If it were that easy, I’d spend the rest of my life travelling time and kissing.”

“Well, that’s settled,” Joyce said, looking smug. She released their mugs and went to the stove to pour her own.

“But what about Joyce?” Willow whispered.

Spike’s brow wrinkled. “That’s what I’ve been bloody well asking!”

Willow leaned closer. “I thought you liked her.”

In a not at all quiet voice, Spike answered, “I adore her. That’s not the point.”

“What this?” Joyce asked, looking up from blowing on her mug. 

“You know I love the hell out of you, Joyce,” Spike said.

Her raised eyebrows indicated that she did not, in fact, know this. “I see. Well, that’s, uh, very nice of you to say, but you don’t mean it romantically. Do you?”

“Oh no! That’d be weird, since Buffy and I…” he coughed. “Uh… since we fight. Yeah, lots of antagonism there. But none toward you, love.”

“I don’t think it’s weird,” Willow said. “I think it’s sweet. In fact…” She grinned. “I think you two should kiss and make up, too.”

Joyce glanced at Spike and then uttered a single “Ha!” and rolled her eyes.

“What’s that mean?” Spike asked, a little hurt.

“No offense, Spike, but I’m old enough to be your—“

“Great-granddaughter.” He winked.

Joyce blushed, looking down at her mug. “I should hang around with vampires more often.”

“You really shouldn’t. We’re a bunch of wankers.”

Willow slid off her stool. “I’ll go research spells that can detect illness.”

“On your own, pet? Are you sure?”

“Nah, you guys catch up. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Willow was still blushing when she left. Spike stared after her, a bit bewildered.

Spike sighed as she departed. “Something’s up with that girl,” he said.

Joyce took her abandoned seat next to Spike. “Yes, and I think I know what,” Joyce said, and nudged his shoulder with hers.

#

Willow had a hard time concentrating on her research. She kept thinking about Spike’s lips – and how weird was that?

She wanted to be happy for Spike and Joyce. They were adorable. And Joyce deserved a boyfriend. 

But she kept thinking about that kiss. She was thinking not-nice thoughts about her friend’s mom, which was bad, definitely bad.

She worried what they could be doing, alone in the kitchen. She feared they were doing exactly what she left them alone so they could do.

Hastily, she gathered together three spell books with promising spells marked in bright fluorescent tabs. That was enough research.

#

Spike didn’t know how it happened. He and Joyce were cozily chatting. She’d dropped her suspicion about him and Willow, which he flatly denied, and then she said, “Sometimes an outside observer sees more.” She wasn’t wrong.

But he was so happy to see her, so joyful just to smell her living scent again, that it wasn’t entirely to prove her wrong when he kissed her cheek.

Surprised, Joyce’s voice fell off mid-sentence and she turned toward him. The second kiss landed on her lips, and he wasn’t sure, but he thought she’d pushed forward to meet it.

Before he knew it, they were making out like teenagers. He couldn’t get enough of her taste, her smell, the solid feel of her. “God I missed you,” he said whenever his lips broke off their exploration.

“You keep saying that. I’ve been right here.”

“I know.” He pulled her tight against him. “Stay right here.”

He felt her laugh inside her chest, pushing against his own. “I don’t think I could leave if I tried. Are you always this way with women, or is it usually just the ones you bite?”

“Joyce, love…” He pulled back. “You know I’d never…”

She kissed his speaking lips. “Relax. It was a joke.”

“There’s things you don’t know about me. A lot of things.”

“I think I’m learning a lot, fast,” she countered, and crawled into his lap.

This proved too athletic a move for the kitchen barstool and they tumbled together onto the tile floor. 

Which was precisely when Willow walked in. Her stack of books hit the floor with a loud slap.

Joyce tried to scramble off of Spike, who quickly crab-walked backwards. “Willow! Hi. We, uh… I slipped, and…”

“Smeared your lipstick all over Spike?” Willow’s lip trembled. She turned and walked out of the room.

“Oh bollocks,” Spike said. “Wait here, love.”

A confused Joyce watched him chase after Willow. “But… you just told me you weren’t interested in each other?”

#

Spike caught up to Willow in the living room. “Hey,” he said, grabbing her arm to stop her dash for the front door.

Tears tracked down her cheeks. “It’s because she’s older, isn’t it? You’re older and you want a woman with maturity and… and… eclectic music tastes.”

Spike smoothed the tear-wet hair away from her cheeks. “Just got a little carried away, is all. It’s been a strange day. Didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Y-you’re only trying to calm me down so I’ll cast a spell.”

Spike leaned in and kissed her, gently on the lips. “I do care about you, pet. You’re an amazing, powerful woman.”

Willow looked confused

Spike kissed her again. “And your musical tastes are just fine, whatever they are.” He smiled.

She threw her arms around him and kissed him hard. Spike stumbled backward under the assault. If he’d been thinking, he should have realized Willow was an all-or-nothing sort, passion as well as magic. She wrapped her legs around him and kept kissing him as he backed into the wall.

She was hot, soft, young, and tasted of strawberries. He groaned and melted into the kisses.

A loud throat-clearing distracted him. He saw Joyce leaning against the archway to the kitchen, arms crossed, expression bemused.

“Later,” Spike mouthed over Willow’s shoulder.

“Mmhmm,” Joyce said.

Spike sighed. He suspected the rest of his day was going to be even weirder than the start of it.

But he didn’t think he much minded.

THE END


End file.
